La Roja Training and Chattin’ it Up with VdB & some pretty pretty

This sure as hell, is a cover shot if I ever saw one! Honestly, how could I not start this post without that booty? Manty lines, all day, everyday, I say. Anyhow, the Spain/Finland match is over now, but there’s lots of La Roja goodness to catch up on. Check out some training yum, adorable bebes, VdB’s wise words, pretty eyes, and Sergio getting fondled by his interviewers…yep, you read that right.

“Hola! They call me the Sexy Carebear, what do they call you?”

If you thought La Roja’s practices were scrumptious before, wait til you see who paid El Guaje a visit! Wittle baby Luca & his big sisters Zaida & Olaya. Ok….so I’m a bit let down. I was expecting baby Luca to have at least a few inches of hair, gelled straight up, by now. I would’ve even settled for a baby soul patch….

Up next, words from VdB, Navas, & De Gea.

VdB:

There are regular players like Casillas, Puyol and Torres that do not come to this concentration, like Javi Martinez.

This list has singularities, there are players like Casillas, Puyol or Torres that didn’t come. You asked for Javi Martinez who is playing for Bayern, and does not look good at all and that’s why I have not brought him. We’ll see the day that the pace of what we expect from Javi is seen & he will be called up. Puyol, I had contact with him, he was walking with discomfort and was not entirely sure. We have chosen not to bring them because they’re not at their best. Torres in the same case as Javi, we are not sure of about calling them up and that’s why did not bring them. Strikers mainly its irregularity is our insecurity.

Was it an option to call on Iker Casillas?

I spoke to Casillas, because I have seen that he  is training. It is very positive, but not yet discharged. All who have been with us so long they want to come, in the case of Xavi, can participate in any of the two games.

Isco has been called up, has he become a regular in the Senior team?

Isco was with us since last preparation, close to the national team, and made ​​his debut with us. There are none that have not had their international debuts, except De Gea. There is tremendous competition in midfield, it costs us having to leave someone out. The list is 24, which is unusual. We have done so because there is a day of league this weekend and we cover ourselves if we have any problems this weekend.  If you are here it is by merit, and so we bring you. Isco has merits to be with us. Another thing is the Confederations Cup, if we seek to do some renovation. We have made a substantial renovation since 2008 until now. Our goal is not to bring new, it’s to bring on the ones with the merits to be here.

What concerns the coach of the next games?

In World Cup qualifying, I am concerned to try to win games to guide the classification. Everyone is well and we address these matches with the spirit and motivation to do well. We prepare to win and do it in the best conditions, this is the sport and anything can happen. Any team knows how difficult it is.

Have you already decided the goalkeeper who will start?

We have time to see what conditions the three goalkeepers arrive in, they are three great goalkeepers.

Navas:

On Iker’s absence – “We know what it means for the national team, he’s an example. He has to recover and we hope to welcome him back with open arms. He’s an important player for us. Wish you speedy recovery.”

“We must continue to work on the same line. Being here is the maximum for a footballer. Addressing these games is important. Whenever the list comes we hope with the utmost enthusiasm. “

De Gea:

“First we have to win against Finland, and once we win, there will be a strong rival against France, but the team to get two wins.”

On being received by NT – “It’s very good. The team has welcomed me with open arms. There are great people, they’re nice people.”

On maturity – “English football forces you to grow up and now I’m a very different goalkeeper who came to England a few years ago.”

On the importance of Xavi in the NT – “We know it all, he is a player who gives us a lot of play in the midfield, but there are players to replace him in that position and hopefully Xavi is with us again soon. “

Sergio was a busy boy this week, speaking to lots of different peeps. We’ve got pics, videos, gifs, & interviews galore.

From abc.es

One hundred caps. You are living history of Spain. Can you beat the world record of Casillas, his 143 games?

God willing and the coach (Vicente del Bosque) still gives me confidence, I will reach a figure, a hundred games, with my 26 years exceeds all records of prematurity in team history. With my youth, I’m in the meridian of my career. This is very important on a personal level. Respect.

Why is it so complicated? You are a leader of Spain. You will play many years with the selection.

I am proud that people see me as a reference. I won titles and I have those figures with the selection, but in the end what people value is to be that, a reference, a player pointer that can mark a time. I think with the work, sacrifice and perseverance we are on track for that, with the passage of time, my name can be so important in the history of Spanish football. But beating Iker’s mark is difficult. First, because the keepers last longer. He is always telling me these things. It is true that I have been breaking statistics. I have already surpassed the selection emblematic players and beat Iker’s rule, although it is difficult.

You and Puyol represent the spirit of the selection and are characters of your two clubs, fierce rivals.

For our personalities, the way we are, by our nature, we highlight these characteristics, but all who pass by selection or a big club like ours should give everything when defending. Yes, I feel privileged that life has given me a tremendous opportunity to make a splash.

There is speculation that you are the player of Madrid that Rosell said he would love to have. Puyol always said you would be the best relay. And Real Madrid would have liked to have Puyol. What a duo.

Although each defend their interests there are always players that you would have liked to have on your team. Each was born in a place, feels some colors and in this sense both Puyol and I are totally opposite. Each defends his team, he to Barcelona and I to Real Madrid. But it is true that we do so with unusual purity. And I live for football and that is my passion and I enjoy my job. Life gives me a chance to be somebody in the world of football, and what better way to return it to peak performance.

Tomorrow reaches hundred games. You can win the Copa del Rey and hope to win the Champions League and the Confederations Cup. They said that the year would be bad for Madrid …

On a personal level it would be a fantastic year. I hope to go on holiday having won the Champions League, which is something that I have to conquer especially. And I hope to win the CdR too, hopefully we have got the merits to win.

Madrid got their last Champions League final in 2002. Is there obsession to get it back?

We really want to get it, but we should not obsess, because when you become obsessed with something the results are usually not good. We must always respect every opponent. Now we have Galatasaray. They are a great team. Further work on the same line in recent years, which reached the semifinals, and hopefully I can win this coveted title that I’ve never been lucky enough to be able to lift. [Or drop.] We must be ambitious and have the dream that we can win the European Cup, but neither live obsessed with it.

The club recognizes that achieving the Champions League is a priority.

Yes, we have that ambition because many years which leads Real Madrid to win and not because it is a competition that is lived differently. It’s the reason for showing ambition worldwide.

Mourinho says this of the Champions: “There are five finals to achieve it.”

I think we now have two finals against Galatasaray. And it’s going to get very complicated for us, because they are a team that knows the competition. They have the merits to be there and have players who are in the ‘top’, as Sneijder and Drogba. They are players that make a difference and that can be in a club as good as ours.

Professionals say that Mourinho is very demanding with the players. You are the leader of the defense of Spain and Madrid. Tell me how is Mourinho?

Mourinho wants the highest-level players. He is a very demanding coach. He really is very good for that, because he brings out the best version of a footballer.

And how is Cristiano? Is he human, normal? Scoring 188 goals in 186 games, with an average of 1.08 goals in football today. It is not normal. He and Messi.

Cris is total. He’s an alien in that aspect. They both are (Messi and Cristiano). They are players that make a story from the first day they take the field. Because they notice anything, because everyone knows that they are different. For Cris, today there is no doubt that he is the world number one, because it is showing. He’s breaking and breaking all records. He keeps scoring goals and is super important for Real Madrid. Hopefully he can stay with us for many years, and that people will want  him, Madrid needs him.

Mourinho said that there was corruption in the vote for the best coach in the world 2012, won by Del Bosque. What do you think? Should FIFA  investigate?

I have nothing to say. That question is for the coach. Well, if he makes such statements it’s because he has his reasons, but that’s very personal, more for Mourinho than me.

We have the Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup. Does Spain feel like the team to beat?

The selection, for it’s work, successes and numbers have proven to be the best and that encourages rivals to want to beat us. For us it is an even greater challenge than the other selections, because they do not come to beat Spain but the world champions and European Champions. That’s a plus to consider.

Winning two World Cups and two European Championships would be a record. Spain is a constantly renewable. 

We must always be convinced that we are able to win again. We now have a Confederations Cup before the World Cup and we must be convinced that we can achieve that. And we played the first World Cup qualifying. But we have a great group of players. And young people arrive who maintain the style and level.

From Fifa.com

Sergio Ramos has urged Spain not to “live in the past” ahead of two crucial matches in their bid to secure automatic qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil next summer. Vicente Del Bosque’s men, the world and European champions, top Group I but only on goal difference from France who they meet in Paris next Tuesday.

Before then, they host Finland and Real Madrid defender Ramos, who will win his 100th cap should he feature in Gijon, has warned his team-mates they must focus on the present rather than previous successes. He told AS: “This situation is real and it shows you cannot live in the past. It is nice to be champions but then you have to get back to winning and defending the title.”

“Everyone expects us to win in Paris, but first is Finland. We must not prioritise Finland as they would make things hard in our fight to get to the World Cup. We must face the matches with humility because humility is what has made this squad great.”

Former Sevilla defender Ramos, 26, is set to become the youngest Spaniard to reach a century of caps for his country and it is an achievement of which he is rightly proud. He added: “I feel great pride and responsibility as it is difficult to achieve at my age but I made my debut when I was very young and have had coaches who have trusted in me. It’s a record that I am proud of. I am 26 and am happy to have achieved so much so young.”

Pics & Gifs via gfsports, rfef, johnyramos, tfortravis, as, abc, feebi, lasexta, fifa.

-Maisougio